Anterior circumflex artery

Anterior Circumflex Humeral Artery

The anterior circumflex humeral artery and its surrounding structures (Gray's Anatomy)

The Anterior Circumflex Humeral Artery (ACHA) is a small artery in the upper arm that branches off the Axillary Artery. It is one of the key arteries supplying blood to the shoulder joint and the deltoid muscle.

Anatomy

The ACHA typically arises from the lateral side of the axillary artery, just below the lower border of the pectoralis minor muscle. It then winds around the surgical neck of the humerus, running anteriorly and laterally. It is accompanied by the axillary nerve and forms an anastomosis (connection) with the posterior circumflex humeral artery.

The axillary artery and its branches, including the anterior circumflex humeral artery (Gray's Anatomy)

Clinical Significance

Due to its location, the ACHA can be injured in fractures of the surgical neck of the humerus or dislocations of the shoulder joint. This can lead to hemarthrosis (bleeding into the joint space) and potential damage to the axillary nerve.

See Also

• Axillary Artery
• Posterior Circumflex Humeral Artery
• Humerus
• Shoulder Joint

References

• Gray, Henry. Anatomy of the Human Body. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1918; Bartleby.com, 2000. www.bartleby.com/107/.